Good News Coming From the Transfer Portal and Building Miami's Roster
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After watching the Miami Hurricanes spring game, there’s no question that Mario Cristobal and his coaching staff have begun to piece together a much more functional overall roster.
That spring game performance did not, however, mean that Miami has come any place close to being where it needs to be. That’s where the Transfer Portal and prep recruiting have come into play.
Not one or the other, but both will be needed to help Miami eventually reach the College Football Playoff.
Beyond not knowing exactly when news will drop, the former of those two talent acquisition avenues will be helping the Canes and probably soon.
For now, just know that good news shall be coming with more talent headed to Coral Gables via the Portal. That brings up a prime question that stemmed from the Transfer Portal overview article that went up yesterday here at All Hurricanes.
How much should Cristobal and the Canes rely on the Transfer Portal before the start of the 2023 season, as well as for future seasons?
Overall, the Transfer Portal vs taking prep recruits has become one of the biggest questions within college football.
Specifically regarding why teams often prefer players from the Portal, a couple of points that have been passed along through multiple sources connected to UM and other major college football programs.
One, if it’s an elite player, sign him up. No team – Miami included – will win a national title without elite talent. That point has been made several times during different conversations. All but impossible to argue that point.
Two, position need has been another consistent theme. As an example, Miami needed offensive linemen and went out and signed two big-time players with offensive guard Javion Cohen from Alabama and center Matt Lee from UCF. Both will be expected to start and help anchor the Canes in the trenches this fall before testing their abilities in the National Football League.
While Miami also signed talented prep offensive linemen from the 2023 recruiting class like Francis Mauigoa and Samson Okunlola among others, experienced offensive line help was a great option for Miami and it capitalized.
Third and finally, it’s the balance of fit and culture. More experienced, more mature, players from the Transfer Portal can sometimes be found and immediately impact a roster. That’s been a prime reason college coaches have often turned to the Portal.
Yes, there have been and will continue to be knuckleheads that entered the Portal for all the wrong reasons, too.
As for Cristobal and the Canes, as long as they continue to do their due diligence, that prior point shall not be an issue. Miami did not possess enough leadership and team mentality this past season (and probably many others in the last 20 years).
Thus, the Portal help was needed for more than just adding physical skill.
Look for the Canes to continue to scour the options from the Portal and also blend in top prep prospects as well. Each will help Miami build back a winning culture, piece by piece, for 2023 and beyond.
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Fan Nation High school football recruiting analyst covering the state of Florida, as well as across the Southeastern United States and the state of Texas.
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